The Great Alta Saga Series

A warrior woman and her dark twin are destined to remake the world in this “powerful” tale, the first in a trilogy by a World Fantasy Award winner (Newsweek). Legend foretold the child named Jenna, who was three-times orphaned before she could crawl, a fate that would leave her in the hands of women who worshipped the benevolent goddess Great Alta. In this world without men, Jenna comes of age, learning quickly the skills of close combat. But her most powerful gift lies elsewhere: a mirror sister who emerges only in the darkness—a twin named Skada—and shares the soul of the young, white-haired warrior who might well be the goddess reborn. But if Jenna is, in truth, the one whose coming is awaited, there is cause for great alarm among those who rule the Dales, for the prophecy speaks of upheaval and change, and a devastating end of all things. An incomparable world-builder and one of America’s premier fantasists, the remarkable Jane Yolen begins a three-part saga as inventive, intelligent, and exciting as anything that has ever been produced in the literature of the fantastic. Brilliantly contrasting the “true” story of Jenna with the later myths, poetry, and so-called scholarship that her coming engendered, Yolen creates a culture as richly imagined as those found in the acclaimed novels of Ursula K. Le Guin. A truly magnificent work, Sister Light, Sister Dark takes fantasy fiction to wondrous places it has never gone before.

A warrior and her dark sister join forces to dismantle and remake their embattled world in this epic fantasy saga from a Nebula Award–winning author. One of fantasy fiction’s preeminent practitioners, Jane Yolen creates a world and mythology that are richly enthralling and vibrantly alive in this acclaimed trilogy.   Sister Light, Sister Dark: Three-times orphaned and raised secretly by the acolytes of the goddess Alta, the child Jenna studies the ways of the warrior in preparation for the day that has been prophesied. For she may well be the goddess reborn who, with the aid of Skada—her mirror twin who can reveal herself only in darkness—is fated to bring devastation to the world.   White Jenna: Grown to young womanhood, the warrior Jenna offers her allegiance to the rightful king of the Dales—and her heart to his brother, Carum—joining the fight against the malevolent usurper Kalas. But the powerful despot appears unstoppable, dedicated to the destruction of the worshippers of Alta, the society of women in which the orphaned Jenna was lovingly raised.   The One-Armed Queen: Having fulfilled an ancient prophecy, the Queen of the Dales must now keep her faltering kingdom safe from a looming terror, and prepare her chosen successor—a one-armed orphan girl she discovered on the battlefield—for the grim responsibilities of rule.   A sweeping adventure of destiny, peril, magic, and romance, The Great Alta Saga is a magnificent feat of storytelling that ingeniously blends world-building, myth, poetry, and song.  

Nebula Award Finalist: A long-awaited savior joins forces with her dark twin to confront the evil threatening their land in the second book of the acclaimed epic fantasy the Great Alta Saga Grown to young womanhood in the mountain region of the Dales and trained for combat by the all-female followers of the goddess Great Alta, Jenna reluctantly accepts the fact that she might well be the Anna, the warrior queen who has long been prophesied. Orphaned three times while still a small child, the now-teenage Jenna is compelled to lend her support and skills to the Dales’ rightful king and his brother, Carum, who holds her heart, for the reign of evil usurper Lord Kalas threatens the future of every worshipper of Alta. But Jenna does not ride alone. Whenever darkness falls, she and her companions—a young priestess in training and an aging warrior—are joined by Skada, white-haired Jenna’s dark sister, who shares her destiny and her soul. But even their combined powers may not be enough to defeat the entrenched malevolence that means to destroy everything and everyone they hold dear.   A finalist for the Nebula Award for best novel, Jane Yolen’s White Jenna is a wondrous tale of duty, destiny, peril, romance, and fantasy. Interspersed with the myths and poetry the story engendered, it is a brilliantly imaginative creation of a world, a culture, and their enduring lore.  

Internal jealousy, obstinacy, and treachery threaten the royal house of a great queen and the future of her matriarchal land in the concluding volume of the acclaimed Great Alta high fantasy series Decades have passed since White Jenna fulfilled the ancient prophecy, becoming queen of the Dales after defeating the king of Garun and driving the cruel occupiers back to their homeland. Since then, a fragile peace has been maintained through an exchange of royal hostages. Jenna’s eldest son, Jemson, travels across the ocean to live with the enemy while the queen, in the way of the Dales, prepares her adopted daughter, Scillia, to eventually rule. A frail, one-armed child discovered abandoned on the battlefield, Scillia is thirteen now. She is confused and conflicted, resentful of her mother’s teachings and the pressures of ascendance. But even more troubling is her brother’s resentment. Jemson was corrupted in his thinking by his time among the patriarchal Garunians and is now determined to rule. The dangerous storms brewing in the royal house of Queen Jenna and the dying King Carum could have devastating consequences for all the people of the Dales: A powerful enemy over the waters is watching for any sign of weakness and instability, eager to reignite the terrible fires of the Gender Wars. Multiple award-winning fantasist Jane Yolen brings her acclaimed saga to a breathtaking conclusion with The One-Armed Queen, ingeniously blending story, myth, poetry, and song to create a truly unforgettable culture and fantasy world.